The case for a Socialist United States of Europe Whither Europe in the 1970s?

we FROM THE LONDON "Times' and Soviet bureaucracy.

without haste, but without rest.

ROBERT the Moscow Europe must How each paper sets about justifying the need to unify Europe reveals in its clearest possible form the linked crisis of imperialism and the Firstly "The Times'. In its editorial of January 1, the case is made for British entry into the Common Market Noting that the new Brandt government in West Germany is 'both moderate and constructive' 'The Times' claims 'it is therefore apparent that the prospects for the political unification of Europe, either with or without Britain as a partner, are more favourable for the Rejecting the 'blood and iron' methods of Bismark and Hitler, "The Times' argues that the great decisions of today can only be taken by men in top hats rather than by In other words, European unity must be the work of the capitalists and not the armed forces of a single dominant power.

Each nation must make its special contribution to this new united by capitalist consensus and Europe brute force.

Britain, we are told, has 'the greatest tradition of political stability and of constructive statecraft brief excursion into European history, 'The Times' bemoans the failure of the 1848 revolution to unite Germany in a democratic way. leaving the task to be completed in Prussian military style by western Europe (with the exception of the Bismark. The lesson drawn from this is Italian) has opposed the Common Market, Claiming that it was a creation and tool of mainly West German imperialism and If the process of European unification is now. taking place, it is essential that we militarism. should not allow our opportunity of 1848 Now new and more friendly breezes blow to be missed, that we should make democratic Europe which can help thể the Common Market will change alongside eastwards from Bonn. The Kremlin line on its call for an all-European collective securExpressed here are all the hopes and ity pact, which is to result in the dissolution of both Nato and the Warsaw Pact.

Too weak to impose its will on capitalist The important 'Izvestia' article of December 10, 'For Stronger Economic Ties' (transEurope, it pleads for a democratic solution lated in 'Soviet News' of December 30) by the Soviet Minister of Foreign Trade nation state and the obstacles it places in Nikolai Patolichev clearly reflects the the path of economic and political uni- change in Stalinist thinking on the Common Market.

What is left unsaid is equally significant. But the article is not only important for The modern equivalent of Germany's 'Iron this reason. It is also a confession of StalinChancellor' is US imperialism, which dom- ist political bankruptcy, and an unintentional demolition of Stalin's theory of 'socialism inates world economy and politics even more effectively than Bismark's or Hitler's in one country.

According to all official Stalinist histories It is this immense economic, political, of the Soviet Union, socialism was built in that country by 1935. Thus the very latest Stalinist textbook, 'A short economic history capitalism that drives the European capital- of the USSR' (Moscow 1968) tells us on ist classes to seek agreement within the page 182:

But the nation state, the private owner- the new Constitution adopted by the Extra- 'The victory of socialism was recorded in ship of property and the uneven develop ordinary Eighth All-Union Congress of ment of industries and countries within Soviets in December 1936.' The Common Market is an attempt to overcome the national and property contradictions of capitalism without abolishWhite-collar anxiety ing the capitalist mode of production.

That it cannot do so is evident in many ways, the most dramatic being the unparalleled strike movement in two of the about redundancies market's major powers-France in 1968 and Italy today- -and the growth of working-class radicalization in the third - West Fear of these convulsions, which arise THOUSAND Rolls- worked at the Derby, HuckRoyce white - collar stafi, nall, Ilkeston and Mount from the pressure of US capital on Europe members of ASTMS, are to Sorrel factories-where 1,750 and the resulting drive of the European consider on January 13 men will lose their jobs. capitalists against their own working class forces 'The Times' to make its plea for whether to impose an over- But the union leaders intime ban and withdraw co- volved have no policy to meet •Without haste, but without rest. That operation in work-measure- 'the threat from the Rollswould be an ideal Fabian motto for the ment schemes at the com- Royce bosses. pany's Midlands plants in pro- Charles_ Hunt, works conpolitical creation of Europe in the 1970s.

And from Fabianism it is but a short test at the proposed redun- venor at Derby, has said that step to Stalinis, the Soviet bureaucracy, dancies. the unions accept the manageOvertime • PAGE FOUR COL. 5 → being Telegraphists say: we know nothing about govt. report' OVERSEAS telegraphists at London's Electra House were yesterday completely mystified about reports of a secret government inquiry into their strike last year.

"Where did this come from? Why has the; press got it when the members know nothing about it? the Union of Post Office Workers' Electra • House branch chairman, John O'Shea, commented to the Workers Press.

Reports of the inquirywhich is said to recommend the appointment of an industrial relations adviser at Electra House-are being taken up with UPW headquarters. Coal prices to go up THE National Coal THE National Board yesterday r Board yesterday revealed that coal prices are to be that anal mrings and increased by 10 per cent from January 19 this year. . The proposal, already accepted by the Prices and Incomes Board, comes only a few months after the previous increase in October last year.

It will be deeply resented as a further move by the Labour government to add to the already sharply rising cost of living.

The increase, which will hit especially hard at pensioners and lower-paid workA TRUISKY ANTHOLOGY USUAL PRICE £1 15s Revolutional Silhouettes ALL FOR at once to: cial Offer, Ne ia Clapham H YOUR LAST CHANCE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF NEW PARK PUBLICATIONS' SPECIAL OFFER The offer will end on Monday, January 5, 1970 C.P. ranks still defying YOUNG SOCIALISTS' national secretary Sheila Torrance was interviewed in yesterday's paign to stop Wilson's visit to Nixon later this month. Today she replies in detail The Age of Permanent Revolution A TROTSKY INTHOLOG' Editor Isaac Deutscher By A. V. Lunacharsky Lenin, Trotsky, Sverdlov and many other leaders of the Russian Revolution come alive in these descriptions by a leading member of the Bolshevik Party and the first Commissar for Culture.

£1 POST FREE Sw Park Publications Ltd., igh Street, London, SW4. Gollan line organization of the company for which it is responsible.

One of the major issues is the underwriting of the WASHINGTON n keeping production at the present level MORGANS PROFITS UP:

The Morgan Crucible which is attempting to pust a product ivity deal for workers in its London plants-has announced vastly-improved pre-tax profits for ning months 1969.

Sales were up z4,252,000 to £23.409,000 during the first to The B,00. profits advanced three-quarters of balance will be €1,745,000. After Morgan's net CHEMICAL MERGER TALKS: Hoescht, the West German chemical concern ranking fourth in the world in size, has set up a workingparty with the British Reed to Young Communist League group to identify sections of national secretary. Barney their businesses where practiDavis's contemptible refusal of joint action against this significant growth. cal co-operation can promote expression of the Labour traitors' support for US im- The Reed group is an increasingly important buyer o perialism's genocidal war against the Vietnamese work- chemical materials types, including fibres. ers and • peasants. The new talks follow the (This correspondence printed in full on pages two recent bid by the two firms to take over the Magicote Communist aint firm Berger Jenson anc Nicholson Party members continue support the Workers Press campaign in defiance of their Stalinist leaders at at King SPIRO AGNEW IN FORAMONG the 30 signatures MOSA: US vice-president Collected Socialist royalon Spiro Agnew yesterday arrived in Formosa, the island reached us yesterday, were on which Chiang Kai-Shek is of two CP trades protected by US armed forces. unionists - Dave Hyams Agnew flew in after a one(ETU) and Ralph Pinder day visit to South Vietnam (AEF). which included an over-night Other Croydon signatories stay in Saigon. include eight tenants from This was unusual because Grove estate, Penge, and ICL US presidents and viceshop steward Terry Pierce presidents visiting Vietnam (ETU). normally only make brief AEF, T&GWU and ETU trips during daylight hours for security reasons.

GREET

at a public meeting See the film of the first issue being prepared and printed and the film 'Young Socialists, 1969'.

Sunday January 25, 2-30 Town Hall, High Street ACTON Speakers :

SHEILA TORRANCE (National Secretary of the Young Socialists)

MIKE BANDA (Editor of Workers Press)

G. HEALY Secretary of Socialist Labour

That was a full 33 years ago. Socialism, Stalinism tells us, was built in total isolation from the rest of the world economy, without the aid of the more advanced countries and therefore without using the advantages of the international division of labour.

Yet Patolichev now says the following:

'There is no doubt whatsoever that if agreement was reached on questions of collective security in Europe, a favourable atmosphere would also be created for mutually beneficial cooperation on the broadest scale among nations with different social systems, for the fuller use of the benefits of the international division of labour' (emphasis added).

For more than -40 years the Stalinists in the Soviet Union and elsewhere claimed that the Soviet economy had no need of this 'benefit', that socialism could be and in fact was constructed within the Soviet Union purely on the basis of its own national resources.

If this was indeed the case, why the call today for collaboration between 'nations of different social systems? What need can there be for the Soviet Union to harness the economies of countries which were allegedly surpassed I in 1935 with the 'final victory' of socialist construction ?

The Stalinists deliberately confused the vital difference between property relations and the building of socialism.

Total nationalization

the economy is not socialism, though it is essential prerequisite.

Transition

Socialism, as a higher form of social, political, economic and cultural life than capitalism, must surpass capitalism in all these fields. Until it does so, it is not yet socialism. It is a society in transition.

That remains the position of the Soviet Union and even more so of the East European states ruled by the Like European capitalism, the Soviet bureaucracy constantly feels the economic, military and political pressure of US imperialism, and is compelled to come to terms with it. This is the meaning behind the following comment:

'In the conditions of the arms drive and continuing tension in the world, the Soviet Union and other socialist countries are also compelled to spend a considerable amount of money on defence.' Then follows the points on collective security and economic collaboration with capitalism.

At the core of the Stalinist and capitalist crisis is the almost overpowering contraORDER THEDAILY Full subscription (Posted dally)

E10 a year £2 10s. for three months ! would like to subscribe to Name Address ........ ast to: Circulation Organizer, Workers Press, 18 apham High Street, London, SW4. (Tel: 01-720-200 shop stewards from Swindon's British Rail, Plessey, PressedSteel Fisher and Vickers' plants have now also signed the Swindon resolution reported in yesterday's Workers Press. This reads :

"These utterances', they say, 'show complete contempt for the working class and the decisions of the Labour Party and Trades Union Congress.

We are convinced that Wilson's proposed visit to Washington will be expressly to give comfort and sympathy to Nixon in continuing the 'We, therefore, call upon all sections of the labour movement to tell Wilson:

'No visit to Washington!

"The Americans must withdraw from Vietnam!' MON Two editlons (For any two days you select) 24 a year {1 for three month Workers' Press fo ers, means 15s a ton more on house coal sold to the merchants and probably more than this for the housewife.

Unable

Other coals, such as anthracite and Phurnacite, will go up by fl to 25s a ton.

some areas, mainly in the East Midlands, the cost of coal is already so high that the NCB has been unable to raise the price by as much as 10 per cent for fear that no-one would buy it.

Yesterday's increase, expected to raise £65 million a year, was introduced on the pretext PCs deficit exending the statutory limit of £50 million.

Change

National Union. of Mineworkers' leaders are asking for a meeting this month with the government to 'ask' for a change in policy over the Board's deficit.

The coal industry is in fact probable, making £29 million in 1968/1969, but is pulled into the red by crippl-